An Aquarium for Heros

All specimen of Heros are substrate breeders, with the exception of Heros severus, that, after they have been laid, takes the eggs in the mouth to let them hatch out there. So tat is a larvophile mouthbreeder. When it concerns the dimensions they are well matched. They differ between 20 and 25 CMS. They all are peaceful animals, that can be kept together with their own sort and/or other fishes without problems. Only in matingseason they turn nasty against their own sort. Keeping together of more than on couple, in a large aquarium is than impossible without occurring phenomenon's of stress. One pair comes to power in the group and all the others are chased and ousted. Real heavy injuries don't occur but the animals don't come by the feed any more and pine away finally.
The best way to obtain a good breeding pair is purchasing a fair number of young animals and let them grow up together in their future quarters. About seven or so. This has as an advantage that good pairs can be selected. Animals that remain behind in there growth or in an other way show ailments can be eliminated. So there is a convenient chance a harmonious couple will come into being that exits of well developed animals. It goes without saying that for this a spacious aquarium is needed. In our case a tank of 230 cm long x 110 cm broad x 65 depth. The selected animals later on can mostly be sold for a good price and in this way compensate a little the costs of the purchase. At first the population existed of 3 couples of Heros notatus and 18 Corydoras melanistius melanistius originating from the area of the Heros, scratched around on the bottom. A couple Apistogramma spec. were left Undisturbed. the vegetation consists of two large groups of Hydrocotyle leucocephala and Nymphoidesaquatica being rooted in the bottom and the leaves as umbrellas on to long stems at the surface. On the foreground another field of Sagittaria subulata and the picture is complete. The floating leaves bring shadow.